Apricot Clafoutis

I have tried a number of Clafoutis recipes but this recipe I found on the Waitrose website seems to be the best. The batter, as they suggest is better rested like pancake batter and even better if chilled for 30 minutes before using in the fridge. About the only thing I would do differently is to caramelise the apricots in a little butter in a frypanfor about 3 minutes a side before placing in the oven dish. This just helps to start the fruit sugars off before the baking starts. Just about any fruit can be used such as peaches, cherries or plums. If using Doris plums you may need to add a little more sugar to counter the plums natural sourness.

Ingredients

400 gram tin of Apricot Halves in juice, drained and heated in a frypan
1 tablespoon homemade vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod split, seeds scraped
500 mls milk
4 medium eggs, beaten,
100 grams caster sugar
50 grams plain flour, sifted
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190 degC. Place the apricot halves in a shallow ovenproof dish about 20cm wide, cut side up.

Heat the milk and add the vanilla essence and remove from the heat, leave to infuse as it cools.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl with an electric handbeater until pale and fluffy. Fold in the flour. Remove the vanilla pod if using. Gradually add the milk mixture to the egg mixture to make a smooth batter.

Pour the batter over the apricots and bake 35-40 minutes until the batter has risen and set.

Place the reserve apricot juice in a pan and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until it has reduced by 1/3 and is thick and syrupy. Dust the pudding with icing sugar and serve drizzled with the syrup or with a nice custard.